


Ner naak (My peace) - The Mandalorian

by Ohwaitimthewriter



Category: Star Wars, The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Earthlings in Star Wars, F/M, Fluff, Reader is an earthling, earthling!reader
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-21
Updated: 2021-01-20
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:06:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 16,936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28214430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ohwaitimthewriter/pseuds/Ohwaitimthewriter
Summary: Din Djarin meets you, an earthling, with no idea of the existence of an outer space.
Relationships: Din Djarin & Reader, Din Djarin/Reader, Din Djarin/You, The Mandalorian/Reader, din djarin/earthling, mandalorian/earthling
Comments: 47
Kudos: 246





	1. Beskar

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there! Here is the first chapter of an on going series you can also find on Tumblr. I hope you'll enjoy it!

Life could manifest itself in a strange way sometimes. It often had a funny way of interacting with people. It was surprising, disturbing and mysterious. And if you had lived in peace with it for a long time, it had found a scatterbrained way to impose its will on you. 

There was one thing you couldn’t lie about. Something was wrong with you. You couldn’t say what, you didn’t have a better way to describe it either. You just knew it was there. That something was there, peacefully settled in a corner of your heart. It was resting and seemed to be waiting for something to wake it up. 

This thing that had been with you since your early childhood had made you a kind-hearted person, but despite your tendency to love people, it had also made you a lonely person. Not because you were not surrounded by family or friends, no, life had been rather generous on that point, it had made you a lonely person because you may have loved and been loved, it felt as if it was never enough. Like there’s a missing piece in the puzzle. It was as if your soul didn’t vibrate on the same wavelength as everyone else’s. As if you didn’t really belong there. 

You could only find inner peace when you walked in the woods with your dog, a 3-year-old Eurasian. Which is what you were doing, by the way. 

Your dog was happily running through the trees. You were watching him do it with a small smile stuck on your lips. Even though he was 3 years old, he still behaved like a puppy, amazed by the slightest little twirling leaf. You loved him a lot. He made you feel a little less alone. 

Autumn was in full swing. The leaves of the trees played with the wind and gave the forest a golden colour. You were watching their dance when you heard your dog give out a curious chirp. 

You looked for him and saw his curled tail waving frantically in a ditch. He started to yelp, jumping back on the path. You thought he had probably found a friend to play with, but when no dog followed him, you felt intrigued. 

“What did you find? ” You said as you walked up to your dog. 

He stared at the ditch and his tail waved wildly. He clearly invited no matter what it was to play and out of curiosity you leaned over the ditch. 

Two big brown eyes were observing you curiously. 

A lot went through your mind at that very moment, but no matter how much you wanted to express your surprise, you were dumbfounded.

The little Being you had in front of you looked like nothing you had already seen before. His large ears that he turned to you as he heeded you, his green skin and his little coat left you speechless. 

The little creature was knee-high to a grasshopper and started stammering sounds like a newborn and you blinked several times before you realized that he had just reached out his little hand to you.

You looked at his big eyes without noticing that you had crouched down to offer him your hand. His three tiny fingers had wrapped around one of yours and a slight smile stretched on your lips. 

“But who are you, you little sweetheart?” 

The little Being cooed joyfully and you decided to carry him out of that damp ditch. 

“Look at you, your coat is all dirty, what are your parents going to say, huh? "You said as you gently rubbed the rough fabric. 

Your dog sat gently beside you, raising his head towards the creature in your arms. He waited patiently to make his acquaintance, his tail wagging against the ground. 

You quickly realized it wasn’t an animal. The sounds he made, his hands, the expressions on his face. He wasn’t an animal, but you didn’t know any better. 

"What are you? "You thought aloud.

You took him at arm’s length to observe him as a whole and you saw two small feet wriggling in the air under his coat.

"a gremlin? That’s really all I can think about.” 

You took the child back against you and you felt your dog getting restless at your feet. 

"Yes, alright, it’s coming, sweetie. "You said. "You take it easy, okay?”

You look at your dog to make sure he would be gentle and then crouch down and let your dog sniff the child. 

"Get that away from him! "Someone shouted at the other end of the road. 

The command had caught you so unprepared that you almost fell under surprise. Your heart had gone wild and even your dog got startled as he was so busy discovering his new friend. 

You turned around and saw a man several meters away. Or rather, what seemed to be a man. Actually, you thought that a legged armor was heading towards you. You didn’t need words. Your mind was already looking for a logical answer to seeing someone walking in the forest, dressed in armor and a helmet coming straight out of the Daft Punk, and for the time being, its attempts have been unsuccessful. 

You stood up, putting one hand on your dog’s head as he took a dim view of that man coming up. 

"He’s not going to hurt him. "You said, gently scratching your dog’s head. 

” It doesn’t look friendly.“ 

"This is probably because of the whole… um, well, all this. "You replied, pointing to his outfit. "What is it anyway, a cosplay? You know, you shouldn’t take it literally when people say you should go out in armor on hunting days.”

The man made no reply. He had stopped right in front of you and you couldn’t help but inspect the armor with your eyes. The sunrays shone on the metal, which reflected the light like a prism. And then your eyes landed on his helmet. The visor was shaped like a T. You were trying to see his eyes but the black tint was so thick that you wondered if he didn’t look on the dark side of life. 

“Give it back to me. "He finally said. 

You looked down at the child who suddenly seemed to have eyes only for this man in armor. Somehow, you felt reassured. You didn’t want to leave a child, or whatever that adorable little creature was, in the hands of a dangerous being. Knowing that he knew him and seemed happy to see him removed all of your doubts. 

You handed him the child and the man immediately took him in his arms. You noticed right away that the man had just relaxed. His shoulders had lowered with relief and you watched him looking at the child for a long time. He seemed to check that he wasn’t hurt. 

There was something endearing about this sight and you couldn’t help but smile at the tenderness that was emerging from this masked man for his little creature. 

"Is it yours? "You asked. "I mean, is that your child?” 

The man turned his head towards you and simply nodded. 

"Forgive me the question, but, what… what is he?” You stammered.

Din was watching you through his helmet. He had never met an earthling before. There were many stories going around about the people of the Earth, many agreed that they behaved like children because the earthlings had too little knowledge about the world around them. Din had heard that they lacked intelligence, that what was unfamiliar frightened them and that their minds were so narrow that they even despised each other. Din had also heard that the earthlings were the shame of the galaxy for their stupidity and clumsiness. 

But after observing you, Din thought the rumors were unjustified. 

“I don’t know. "He said. 

"Oh." 

That was all you could find to answer. You looked at the child again, he was desperately reaching out his small hand to you and when you offered yours to him, he grabbed it again, cooing with joy. 

"What a strange little thing you are. ” You said softly before looking at your dog who didn’t stop staring at the armored man. “Come on, let’s go home Y/Dog’s/N.” 

You were about to leave when the man called out to you.

"I would like to ask you a favor." 

"If you tell me you’re stuck under that Daft Punk helmet and you want me to pull it off, I’m going to laugh.” You teased. 

“Beskar helmet.” He said.

“Oh, I don’t know that band.” You said naively. 

“No, It’s not… whatever.” He sighed deeply. “Do you agree to help me? I can pay you.”

“Well, being helpful is free of charge. What do you need?”


	2. Me'sen (Starship)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Din meets you, an earthling, with no idea of the existence of an outer space.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there! Here is chapter 2! I haven't said it here but I'm sorry if you spot some mistakes in my English, English isn't my first language so you might find some weird sentences because I translate each chapter from French to English. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you'll like this chapter, enjoy your reading!

Life could manifest itself in a strange way sometimes. You’ve always convinced yourself of that. But you had always been very far from understanding how much it could be. On the one hand, how could you have imagined that one day you would find yourself face to face with a spaceship? And worse, that you would have promised to be able to fix it thinking it was just a simple car. 

You had in front of you, the most incredible machine that could exist on Earth. And which, by the way, had never existed on Earth. 

The man in armor didn’t seem to have noticed that you had stopped, amazed by the device that stood between the trees in front of your eyes. 

And then, something funny happened. Your brain seemed to just have stopped working. You blinked one, two, three times before your mouth tried to say something but no words escaped from your tongue. 

You swallowed and your eyes landed on the man in armor. He was now facing you and was waiting to see how you would react. 

Din knew that the Earth people didn’t have any ships, but he had made some research and he knew that you still had machines that could fly in your atmosphere. He was kind of hoping that you would match the Razor Crest to one of these machines. 

But that didn’t take into account your cinematographic knowledge. 

“Is that…" 

You couldn’t finish your sentence. In fact, you couldn’t even bring yourself to believe that it could be possible. Saying the word aloud meant making it true, making it tangible, and somehow, the little human being, the earthling, that you were, was not ready for that. 

The man didn’t answer anything. You noticed that he was not a big talker but his body spoke a lot for him. And he was standing by. To do what? You couldn’t have said it, but he was always on the alert. 

"Uh, I didn’t expect that. "you said. 

"You can’t fix it. "He stated.

You frowned. Hit and sunk. 

"It’s not… no, I mean, I mean, it’s… huh, it’s a ship! "you blurted out. 

"Obviously.”

You felt a headache gradually settling in. Your mind was struggling to keep up because the presence of this ship called into question absolutely everything you had been taught until now. And that was a lot. Too much even. 

A heat wave overwhelmed you and you felt the need to sit down. Something you did before your legs did it on their own. 

The child immediately worried about you sitting on the floor, knees up towards you while your dog licked your hands with concern. You took his head between your hands, gently passing your fingers through his long cream-colored fur. 

“ A ship, can you believe it? A real one! "You said. 

You looked at your dog in the eyes, forgetting for a moment the presence of the man in armor, the child and that ship that suddenly made the world far too big, or the Earth far too small. 

Din didn’t say anything. He was watching you grasp the idea of a hyperspace and somehow he thought you were taking it better than he had expected. And then he saw you raised your head towards him. 

"It means you… you come from…" 

"From a long way, yes.” He finished your sentence. 

You breathed deeply. You had to relieve the pressure that was building up. 

“Do you realize that here, no one will be able to take care of your ship? Maybe NASA, at a push, but I can’t even be sure. "You said. 

"Take me there.” 

"This is not possible. You don’t waltz in NASA as you please. And…”

You didn’t know why, but you were worried about this man and this child from the elsewhere. You knew nothing about them, you didn’t know what this ship was capable of and you knew even less if you could trust a person, if he was one, straight out of a universe of which no one on Earth really knew anything about. 

However, you knew the people here. And if there was one thing you were sure of, it was that they were not safe on a planet where what was different caused wars. 

“You have to leave. "You said. 

The man remained silent for a long time. He seemed to be thinking. Then he took a few steps towards you, taking care to know if you were going to be afraid of him but when he saw that you were not flinching, he reached out his hand to you to help you get up. 

"I can’t. "He simply said. 

He sighed deeply. He then headed for his ship, opening the ramp that would lead him inside.

You looked at the ship, examining it as best as you could, lingering on every metal part, every bolt you could see and finally, on closer inspection, the ship was not so different from an airplane. 

You sighed as well. What would your father say if he saw you give up on an opportunity like this? Maybe if this man would let you study the structure of the aircraft, you’d be able to make something of it. After all, your father had spent his life teaching you mechanics. It would be a shame not to honor his knowledge. 

You walked towards the ship, calling out to the man. 

"If you have some tools to cobble things together, maybe I can fix your tin can.”


	3. Yaim (Home)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Din Djarin meets you, an earthling, with no idea of the existence of an outer space

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy your reading!

The sun was beginning to ride down into the sky. Twilight was not far away but you were still perched on the wing of the ship, as your mind was focused on the engine’s fuse panel. Your leg was swaying gently in the void as you were absorbed by the ship’s advanced technology. 

You had spent the rest of the day studying the structure of this fascinating tin can and came to the following conclusion: this scrap metal pile was not much different from an airplane. 

It was reassuring for you, because even if you had never put your hands in an airplane, you had already studied the plans of a certain number and you could already recognize similarities in the layout of the electrical circuits. 

You’ve seen enough for one day. You had a good idea of the problem and were already thinking about which store or workshop could provide you with some of the parts you needed to repair the aircraft. 

You closed the small hatch that housed the main circuit board, and then a child’s laughter caught your attention. You looked down and saw your dog walking around with the child on his back. He proudly trotted under the wing of the ship as the child tried as best he could not to fall. You laughed slightly in front of this improbable scene and stood up, walking on the roof of the ship to join the trapdoor that would bring you back to shore. 

Your hands were covered with soot and grease and you hardly dared to touch the rungs of the ladder. Your dog was waiting for you at the foot of it and as soon as your foot touched the ground, he brushed his body against you, happy to be reunited with his favorite human. 

The little one hadn’t left your dog’s back, his tiny fingers were wrapped in the long fur and he grabbed onto it hard so he wouldn’t fall. 

“A real little cowboy” You joked and the child started laughing. 

You crouch down next to your dog, observing the child. 

“I’d rather not even imagine what they’d do to you if they ever found you…” You thought aloud. 

You were really worried about that little guy. He looked at you with his big eyes, tilting his head to the side as if he was trying to understand you better. He seemed to be looking for something in your eyes and then, as if he had just found it, he reached out his small arm to you with a big smile. 

You could have melted in front of such tenderness and although you suspected that he wanted your arms, you gently waved your filthy fingers in front of his eyes. 

“I can’t, my hands are all dirty, look at this! If you ask me, this ship may be super cool, but it deserves a good spring cleaning! » 

The child babbled with amusement and his hand perched again in your dog’s fur. This child was precious and when you thought of the human horror that the people of this planet could bring, a wave of determination fell upon you. 

"I’ll do my best to get this piece of junk off the ground, but you, sweetheart, I want you to stay with Banjo. "You took a look at your dog who seemed to quickly understand the message. "He will protect you." 

The child listened carefully to you before yawning. Fatigue weighed on his eyes and he snuggled into Banjo’s fur, your dog, to fall asleep. 

It didn’t take you long to find the man in armor. His head was plunged into the mechanical arm of the ship that served as a landing foot. He heard you coming and looked at you. Before you even said anything to him, he handed you a cloth so you could wipe your hands. 

"Oh, thank you. "You said. 

He didn’t answer anything and just watched you clean your hands. 

"I’m not going to lie, there’s a lot of work to be done.”

"Is it manageable? "He asked you.

"Yes. Mostly it’ s about finding the parts that will be complicated but hey, you just made Star Trek real so from then on, there’s nothing impossible in there! "You said. 

Once again, he remained silent. You just saw him tilting his head towards your dog and the sleeping child on his back. You saw a tension settling on the man’s shoulders. He was obviously holding back from picking up the child and it was probably the intense look your dog gave to the man that prevented him from making a movement. You were wondering why he was so suspicious of your dog, but you decided it was time to stop torturing him like that. You leaned over to gently hold the child in your arms, doing everything possible not to wake him up before putting the child back in his father’s arms. The man relaxed almost instantly and it clicked in your head.

"Tell me, have you ever met a dog before?" 

"I’ve met stranger things. ”

“Well, you should know that dogs are humans’ best friends here. They are the only ones who will never fail you." 

"He didn’t stop you from following me, though. "He said. 

"That’s exactly why I followed you.”

You smile at him gently, scratching the head of your dog who had sat next to you. 

The night had completely fallen. The only lights were coming from the ship and you felt the air cooling down. A shiver crept under your jacket and it was no longer warm enough to protect you from the cold of autumn nights. So it was about time you came back home. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

He nodded and as you began to turn back, you suddenly wondered if you were doing the right thing by leaving them alone in the middle of the forest, at the mercy of curious looks. You looked back, the man was coming back into his ship and it was bothering you. You didn’t know why, but your instinct told you that leaving without them was not the way to go.

You looked down at your dog who stared at you with curious eyes and you could not bring yourself to do so. 

“Excuse me! "You called him out. 

The man turned to you, waiting for you to talk. 

"You have nowhere to go, have you? "You asked him, walking back. 

"The ship. "He said. 

"You should come to my house. » 

Din was caught off guard. If you could have seen his face, you would have seen him widening his eyes in astonishment. To him, there was no reason to find a dwelling place on this planet. He had checked, he knew there was nothing dangerous, he knew he could stay in his ship without fear of being found by mercenaries or other bounty hunters. He already thought it was honourable enough of you to help him and he found it even more incredible that an Earthwoman would trust him. Because that wasn’t what he read about the people of Earth. 

"That’s not necessary.”

“I won’t let a poor Daft Punk imitation refuse my offer. "You argued.

”… Who the hell are Daft Punk?“ 

” That is one more reason! "You stated.

And indeed, you left him no choice. You crossed your arms on your chest, staring at him while waiting for him to decide. That, on the other hand, he had read about it, earthling stubbornness. 

He gave in faster than he would have liked. He sighed deeply, going down the ramp to join you. 

“Thank you. "He said. 

Actually, he had hoped you’d ask him to sleep in a real bed.


	4. Mando

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy your reading!

“Welcome to my home!" 

Din was observing your entrance from floor to ceiling. You could see him linger on certain features, such as the carpet under his feet or the vintage chandelier hanging from the ceiling. He seemed enthralled. Then he noticed a picture frame. Your family was there. You were there too, next to your father. He took it in his hand, looking carefully at the picture. 

"This is my family.” You said. 

“Do they live here?” He was worried.

“No. My father died five years ago and my mother went to the mountains to get some fresh air. It’s just me! "And your dog sniffed at you, jostling you slightly. "And Banjo, of course,” you laughed. 

He put the picture back in its place as you got rid of your jacket and shoes in a closet. 

“Please make yourself at home, the bedroom is upstairs on the right and the bathroom’s down the corridor, I’ll make some food and…" 

"You don’t have to.” He cut you off. 

“Huh, aren’t you hungry?” You asked.

“No, just for the little one.” He said. 

You were puzzled for a moment and suddenly you heard his stomach grumbling. You raised an eyebrow, with a slight smirk on your face. 

“ Your stomach said the opposite. Don’t worry, I love to cook, so for two or three it makes no difference. "You said. 

"No, I, huh, I can’t.” He said. 

“You on a special diet? No problem, I can adapt, tell me…”

“That’s not…” He sighed. “I can’t take my helmet off." 

" So, you’re really stuck in there?” You teased. 

“Sort of.” He agreed. 

It made you smile, but you understood. You invited him to venture further into your little house, offering to settle down in your living room. 

“I’ll prepare a tray for you.” He was about to protest, but you stopped him in his tracks. “I’m going to bed early, I’m exhausted and then tomorrow I’ll get up early to get all the pieces for your ship, you’ll have the house all to yourself.” You finished as you headed towards the kitchen. 

Din felt like an idiot. An idiot because he was grateful to you for accepting his condition so easily. He didn’t know how he could repay you, he had no idea, so he felt like an idiot for having to accept kindness from an earthling. Especially from an earthling, in fact. The rumors were so unfounded that they were becoming ridiculous around you. He wanted to return the favour, he wanted to thank you but not knowing how, drove him crazy. 

And then you suddenly stuck your head out of the kitchen door. 

“By the way, I knew I’d forgotten something… My name is y/n!" 

He said nothing but nodded. You left to take care of the meal, but a few minutes later, when you didn’t hear him say his name back, you put your head back in the doorway. 

"I guess if I can’t see your face, I can’t know your name, but what can I call you?” You asked. 

Your eyes literally burned with goodwill and it was the first time Din felt deeply touched by it. He laid the child comfortably on the sofa before he joined you in the kitchen. 

“Mando.” he said. 

“Mando?” you asked back. “It’s fine with me." 

You were focused on the meal, a number of ingredients were spread out on the table and you seemed to know exactly which ingredients mixed perfectly with one another. Din watched you juggle with ease between the kitchen tools. It has been a very long time since he has seen someone cooking and watching you do it brought him back to the time when he was just a child. He had very little memory of the pre-war period, but he remembered the smell of a good homemade meal that was still steaming. 

You took one look at him and seeing him follow your actions with such interest made you smile. You wondered if he would like to help you and as you were preparing a quiche, a simple meal, you held a knife to him, pointing the leeks at the end of the table. 

"Would you mind cutting the leeks for me?” You said.

His helmet glinted with confusion. He looked at the knife, he looked at the green and white stems that you had shown then, he looked at you. Maybe you had misinterpreted his wish, but you were convinced that he wanted it. You could tell from the way he behaved. He had come closer to the table with one hand on the table and he had studied your every move carefully. 

He stared at you and the knife and then decided to take it gently. You smiled kindly at him, rummaging through a cupboard and pulling out a cutting board which you put in front of him, then you grabbed the leeks and brought them closer to him. 

“It’s very simple,” you began. “You cut here, at the edge of the green and the white part, then you cut the white part into small dice and you put them in there.” You pointed to the colander.

He nodded slowly as if he was still trying to grasp what you were asking him and waited for you to lose interest in him before hesitantly giving his first cut. 

Your dog had decided to join you and he sat at Mando’s feet, watching him attentively. Din was so focused in his task that he had not even noticed him until he felt an insistent look on him. He looked down at the dog, who seemed to mock Din’s caution with these pieces of leek, which definitely did not look like small dice. 

“Stop looking at me.” He said. 

Your dog’s tail began to wag gently against the ground, and he tilted his head to the side, listening carefully to what Mando intended to say to him.

“Go away.” he added. 

Din wasn’t comfortable, but your dog had another idea in mind, and he moved even closer to Din, who slammed the knife against the table as he tried to move away from him. The jingling drew your attention and Mando turned to you, a question mark hanging on his helmet. 

“I think he wants you to pet him.” You said, with a smile on your face. 

“To pet… him?" 

"Yes, scratch his head, he’ll leave you alone afterwards.” You said.

Mando lowered his head back to your dog. Banjo was still staring at him intensely. He’d come closer again, sitting up straight at Mando’s feet, and Din obviously didn’t know how to do it. Mando looked at you again and you nodded to encourage him while you finished mixing the ingredients together.

Din was looking at the dog. It was a very strange thing for him. Certainly not the strangest he’d ever seen, but strange in the way it behaved. He seemed very affectionate towards you and the child, affectionate and playful. But Din had also seen the fangs in his mouth when the animal had only yawned. 

He stared at the dog and slowly directed his hand to the top of his skull. Instinctively, he had tightened his fingers around the handle of the knife on the table as he hesitantly placed his gloved fingertips into Banjo’s fur. He scratched it for a second before removing his hand and satisfied with the semblance of affection Mando had just given him, your dog went into the living room. 

“I told you.” You said, with a smile on your lips.

You took the pieces of leek that were actually more chopped than diced and added them to the preparation before putting them in the oven. 

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” Mando apologized for the state of the leeks. 

“No, thank you for preparing them.” You said. 

You leaned against the counter before you stared at Mando. 

“ Can I ask you a question?” You said.

Mando nodded. You were about to speak, but your mouth didn’t seem to find the right question. In fact, you had so many that you didn’t know where to start. How could you know where to start anyway? You were looking at someone from elsewhere. An elsewhere so vast, both frightening and magnificent. Mando was waiting for your question, but he could see you looking for the words you needed. He waited patiently for you to come out of your thoughts, but he noticed that you were lost in what you were supposed to ask him. 

“Why the helmet?” He ventured out. 

“ Yeah, I think we’ll start with that.” You nodded quickly, relieved that he’d taken the lead. 

And then you listened to what he had to say. He didn’t really go into details, but you knew enough to understand why he couldn’t take his helmet off and where he came from. And that was enough. At least for now. 

“It must be incredible.” You said. 

Mando had sat in a chair during his story and you were checking if the quiche was cooked. Din didn’t quite understand what you meant at first, so he kept quiet until you went on.

“I mean, to be able to travel in space. You know, everybody here dreams about it, but I don’t think anybody’s really ready for it. In fact, people aren’t ready at all. They’re so afraid of the unknown that they’d lose their minds just at the thought.” You conclude. 

“ Still, you seem okay. ” Mando noted. 

“I don’t count.” you laughed. 

“Why?" 

You shrugged. Maybe it was because you never really felt at home. Maybe it was because you always felt like you were missing something, but you had never been able to put a finger on what it was. 

"Maybe I’m already part of the unknown.” You joked.

You finally get the quiche out of the oven. Its perfume spread quickly around the room and you noticed Mando taking a deep breath. He enjoyed the light smell of the food and his stomach growled a little more at the thought of taking a bite of this homemade pie. 

“You don’t sound like the rumors.” Mando said. 

“The rumors?” You asked as you cut several slices of quiche. 

“About earthlings. There’s a lot of stories about you.” he said.

“How come the universe knows about us, but not us about you?”

Mando sighed. He knew why, and it saddened him that he had to tell you because you were far from what the rest of the galaxy was saying. 

“Earthlings are considered pets, stupid, self-centered, haughty and highly judgmental.” Mando said. 

“At least that makes me feel better about one thing.” You said.

“Which is?”

“Well, they’re not so different from us after all."


	5. Cabur (Guardian)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you'll enjoy your reading! And thank you so much for all your comments, it always makes my day to read you!! You're all so lovely, thank you so much 💙

Life, could manifest itself in some particularly strange ways. And there were many things you had not expected to experience, the first of which was to host two beings from the space under your roof. The second was probably having to justify the presence of a man in full armor sitting in the passenger seat of your car. 

You had managed to convince Mando to leave the child at home, under the watchful eye of your dog. In fact, you had even hoped that he too would remain out of sight, but trying to convince a Mandalorian was a long shot. 

Mando insisted on coming with you. You were going to look for the mechanical parts needed to get the ship back up and running, and he wanted to make sure you had the right materials. Even though you had explained to him that in any case, the parts you collected would be transformed to fit the ship, he didn’t want to hear anything. 

Din was actually curious. He had heard so much about the Earth and its people. And to him, you were like an alien, it was a whole world to discover, and he didn’t want to miss it for anything in the world. It might even have been the first time he could take the time to discover a planet without getting shot. 

But it didn’t make it any easier for you. 

You looked at your neighbor, leaning against your car door, with the most natural smile you could offer. Your hands were clenched on your steering wheel and your neurons were already wriggling to find a logical explanation for Mando’s armor.

“Anton! To what do I owe the pleasure?" 

"Oh, I saw you get in the car with… huh, your friend, I thought I’d say hi." He said, staring at Mando indiscreetly. "Is there a carnival in town or something?” He asked for you.

Anton wouldn’t take his eyes off Mando and it was getting embarrassing. You couldn’t tell how Mando felt, but if you were in his shoes, you probably would have hated that look. You could see from the corner of your eye that Mando was holding his gaze. So you came up with the best excuse you could think of.

“Actually, it’s a birthday party for a friend’s daughter. She’s turning six, and you know how little girls that age are, they dream of having their knight in shining armor.” You say. “So, huh, my friend here has kindly offered to play along.”

You clear your throat. You prayed silently for this lie to work, and when your neighbor suddenly appeared to understand a math class, you refrained from crying out for relief. 

“Ah! Like the knights of the Round Table! What an impressive armor, don’t change a thing buddy!” Anton enthused over. 

Mando stared at him silently. Poor Mando, he probably didn’t understand anything about this knight story, but at least it was a decent explanation for the moment.  
You didn’t want to linger there any longer, you thanked Anton and ended up on the road to your mechanic.

“A knight in shining armor?” Mando asked you.   
“ Well, it’s a long story. But to make it short, the novels are full of romantic stories involving medieval knights. I could lend you a book on the legends of King Arthur, if you like to read, of course.” You said.   
“I don’t know if I like reading." 

You took your eyes off the road to look at Mando. How could someone not know whether or not they liked to read? And you suddenly wondered what that man had done in his life to not be able to know. 

"I never had a chance to read." 

Din felt he had to justify himself. You had been so surprised by his answer that he wondered if reading was not an integral part of being an earthling. And then you nodded, giving him a warm smile. How could so much kindness slumber in a single being?

"Well, since you’re going to be stuck here for a little while, maybe this is your chance to find out?" 

Mando didn’t answer anything. Only a hesitant nod indicated that he agreed, and your smile only got bigger. 

Din watched you focus on the road again. He took the opportunity to take a look at the machine that was driving you both to your chosen destination. It was a strange passenger compartment. He had quickly figured out that it was thanks to the pedals that you were sending the necessary impulse to the machine to move forward, but he was still amazed by the lack of controls and instruments for piloting. He put his arm on the armrest of the car door, but because of his gauntlet, the button to open the window went off. 

The third thing that was particularly unexpected for you was to see a Mandalorian getting startled by a window opening itself. You had to admit it, Mando was a strange bird, but watching him discover the little earthly things was surprisingly entertaining. You closed the window on your side calmly as Mando settled back onto his seat, almost embarrassed to have been surprised.   
"At least I know I’m not the only one who’s taken aback by new things.” You said. “Wait, you’re gonna love this!” You excitedly said as you pressed the button to turn on the radio. 

The music spread around the car and Mando suddenly stared at the radio. There were probably more controls to monitor this little box than there were to drive the vehicle. The music playing was rather rhythmic, Din noticed that you were tapping your steering wheel with your fingers in sync with the song and you seemed to particularly enjoy the song. It was weird by the way. It didn’t sound like anything he’d ever heard before, but as strange as it sounded, it wasn’t unpleasant at all. 

“You can change if you don’t like it, just press this button. ” you told him.

Din was curious, he pressed it and suddenly several voices rose up to narrate he didn’t know what about he didn’t know who. He pressed again and this time a much softer song was played. He liked it. He let it end and changed the radio station again until you recognized the first notes of a band that you had fully intended to introduce to the Mandalorian. 

“This one! That’s them!” you exclaimed.   
“Them?”  
“Daft Punk, that’s them!" 

You couldn’t see it, but Din frowned as he listened to Get Lucky playing on the radio. He was focused on whether or not he liked those "Daft Punk” with whom you had compared him. His finger barely touched the button, ready to change the station and after a few seconds of listening, he didn’t feel particularly flattered by the music. He changed it without any further ado.

“You don’t like it?”  
“Not really.” he replied.   
“It would have been funny, you guys look alike, you’d have made a great trio. ” You teased.   
“Why?”

You didn’t say anything. You checked to see if there were any police officers around before you took out your phone, looking on the internet for a picture of the Daft Punk. Then you handed your phone to Mando, who silently observed the picture of the two men in helmets. 

“It’s not beskar, it won’t even stop a blaster shot, these helmets are useless.” He stated suddenly, putting the phone back where you took it. 

You couldn’t help but giggle. You shook your head in disbelief, looking at him. 

“Beskar doesn’t exist here and these helmets aren’t made for…” And then you realized what he just said. “Wait, a shot of… of what?”  
“Blaster. ” he said.   
“What the… no. Actually, I’d rather not know." You changed your mind. "These helmets are like, let’s say, a symbol. It’s just, for appearance’s sake." 

Din didn’t really understand the point behind it, so he didn’t answer. Maybe there was some logic in it, but in this case, it was beyond his knowledge.   
Then you park the car at a small parking lot. There was a building in corrugated iron across the street, and several dented cars were stored under a shed. 

” Here we are. This is where I hope to find most of the pieces for your ship. This auto shop belongs to my father’s old friend. He shouldn’t ask too many questions. " You said, more to reassure yourself than to reassure Mando.   
“If he does, I’m still a knight in shining armor." He said, and you could hear the grin that Din had on his face. 

He didn’t get out of the car until you stepped outside. You had made a list so that you wouldn’t waste too much time here. 

” The only thing you’re missing is your trusty steed. " you joked. 

As soon as you’d finished your sentence, your father’s friend was already coming to meet the two of you.

“Y/n! It’s good to see you!"   
"Hello Henry, it’s been a long time." You said.   
"I know you’ve been working a lot, but you should tell your students to leave you alone for an hour or two and come see me! "He called out.   
"You’re right, they’ll probably be happy about that actually." You said.   
"And who are you bringing me?" 

Henry turned to Mando, offering his hand to shake it. Mando seemed to hesitate for a moment, but when you nodded gently, he shook Henry’s hand. 

"Henry, this is Mando.”  
“Nice to meet you, Mando, so tell me, what can I do for you?” Henry just went on. 

You handed him your list, mentally thanking him for not dwelling on Mando’s appearance. Henry stared at it, rubbing his beard. 

“Well, it’s a big restoration you got there. "He noticed.   
"Ah, that’s a hell of a slog, you could say. "You said.   
"What type?”  
“Never been seen before. ” You answered and you couldn’t be more exact. “ It belongs to Mando. It’s a real gem. You wouldn’t believe it.”

You would’ve given yourself an Award for acting. Henry glanced enviously at Mando, probably imagining a real gem in the automobile world. 

“Any self-respecting man gives his marvel a name, so what’s the name of this beauty?" 

You rolled your eyes. Only a man like Henry could have said such a thing. But, to your surprise, Mando replied. 

"The Razor Crest."   
"You’ll have to show me that car!”  
“Once we get it up and running. ” Mando said. 

You were stunned to see Mando getting into your game, but you were happy about it. Henry nodded and sneaked into his workshop with your list. 

“The Razor Crest?” You repeated. “So you really give names to ships?"   
"It’s more like…” Mando looked around before he showed you the license plate of a car in the parking lot. “something like that."   
"License plate? Ships are identified in space?”

He nodded when Henry appeared again, making a sign to follow him. After joining him to the workshop, Henry pushed a wagon towards you and Mando. 

“I don’t have everything, but take what you can. ” he said.   
“Thank you, Henry. Let me know the bill. "You said.

He nodded and left the two of you to gather the pieces. You’d already stuck your nose in the high shelves, scrutinizing every piece of metal you encountered. 

"It’s nice of you to offer, but unfortunately, whatever money you have is probably worthless here. That’s one of the consequences of not knowing the true extent of the universe. ” You said, grabbing an alternator in your hand. 

You looked at it from every angle and decided it would do the trick. You put several in the cart. You took a step back, trying to find out where Henry stored his spark plugs.

“So how can I thank you? ” Mando asked.   
“Well… if you’ve got a way to get to the top of that shelf, I’m in.”

You showed him the position of the spark plugs and sighed looking for a stepladder, but Mando had another idea in mind. 

“I’ve got one. ” he simply said.   
You frowned, not understanding what he wanted to do when he pushed his cloak to one side, revealing a dorsal reactor. You would have been speechless if he hadn’t suddenly left the ground and risen three feet in the air, grabbing a few spark plugs before reaching the ground again.

You lost your words as Mando handed you the pieces. You didn’t want to stare at him, but it wasn’t very common to see a human being flying with a jet pack either. 

“People don’t do that around here?” Mando said.

It was more of a statement than a question, but you shook your head, telling him that they didn’t. But you couldn’t stop smiling either.

“It’s just, amazing. "You said as you picked up the spark plugs. ” But, uh… “ You moved closer to Mando to put his cloak back over the jet pack. "As much as I’d love to try that someday, you’ d better hide this."

You felt sad about having to tuck away Mando’s appearance like that. Though, you smiled at him kindly as you kept selecting useful mechanical components for the ship. 

"Earthlings really don’t like anything that doesn’t look like them. ” Mando said suddenly.

It couldn’t be more true. You were watching Mando. His helmet, his armor, the equipment that girdled him, and now his jetpack. You weren’t really concerned about the “normal” people, you were concerned about the authorities. You were worried about the government, the scientists, NASA, all those people who would make sure that no one would find out about a faraway place. You were worried about these people and their scientific experiments. You were gradually realizing that you were probably the only person on Earth who had living proof that the universe was much wider than people were willing to admit. And somehow that was frightening and it put you in a dangerous position. Because people don’t like those who know too much. 

“I wish I could tell you that it’s not true, that everyone can proudly show their culture and their differences, but in fact it is not the case. If you’re not within the framework, you become a target. And there are so many crazy people in this world that some would be able to kill you for being different. I really wish I could proudly announce that you’re living proof that we’re not alone in the universe, but that would be like sentencing us to death… both of us. ” You concluded. 

Din had paid attention to your words. Maybe he had been wrong. Maybe he wasn’t as safe on this planet as he thought he was. He was becoming more and more aware that leaving the Earthlings behind in the universe had done more harm than good. And then, your last sentence caught his attention. Sentencing you both to death. Why would she be? He understood why he would, but y/n? He didn’t realize he could endanger you just by knowing he existed.

Din stopped you suddenly, putting his hand on your shoulder for the first time. It may even have been the very first time he had ever initiated physical contact with an almost stranger. And it felt like a pact he was signing with you. 

“I can promise you this will never happen. ” Mando said.   
“You don’t know about the doggedness of our leaders. ” You said.  
“And they don’t know about the Mandalorians.”

His statement sounded like a promise, and the anxiety that Din had noticed in your eyes had evaporated. Yes, if necessary, he would protect you.


	6. Buir (parent)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy your reading!

You didn’t know why you had convinced yourself that leaving the child in the care of a dog was actually a good idea. And when the front door opened on your dog, sitting with his tail wagging frantically against the ground and his face painted with black marker, you bit your lip with regret. Because it was not the only thing to regret. 

As soon as you looked up, you noticed the child taking small, resolute steps towards the living room patio door, proudly brandishing the marker that he had probably found in a drawer of your desk. 

And if Lucky Luke was shooting faster than his shadow, you had been at least as quick to catch the child on the run before he smeared your window in black. Reassured that you had saved the window, you turned to Mando, who had taken the time to get a grip on the state of your living room. 

“I should’ve known better. ” he sighed. “I’m really sorry." 

His voice was filled with sincerity and after looking around the room, a slight sensation of panic fluttered in your chest. You suddenly wondered how such a small being could turn your living room upside down all by himself. The cushions of the sofa, including those of the seat, had all landed in a corner of the room, forming a kind of wobbly hut. You could imagine that your dog must have taken some pleasure in destroying a cushion because of the foam on the floor and your wall separating the living room from the kitchen looked like a Picasso painting.

You observed the child in your arms naively enjoying drawing on his little hand with the marker. You wanted to get angry at him and at your dog, who had understood the moment you saw the foam, that he too hadn’t been very good. But seeing so much innocence quickly soothed you. You let a sigh escape from your mouth and put the child down on the ground, taking the marker from his hands at the same time. 

"It doesn’t matter, I’ve been putting off cleaning this room for a while anyway. "You said to comfort Mando, who didn’t seem to know where to stand anymore.   
"I’ll help you. ” He replied hastily.

In your shoes, Din would have been furious, he had even seen a glimmer of anger in your eyes, but you had smothered it with a flutter of lashes. And unlike being angry at him, you had smiled kindly to thank him for his help. Din didn’t realize it at first, but he had tilted his head slightly to the side to observe you carefully. He was trying to understand where you got that serenity, that composure you always let appear. A calm attitude that was always welcoming, and Din even dared to think, restful and comforting.  
Comforting.

It had been a long time since Din had felt his heartbeat so peaceful. No rush. That steady and constant “boom-boom-boom” was almost foreign to him, but it felt good. Din realized that his muscles no longer hurt and his back and legs were not so stiff. He hadn’t slept much that first night, but the little he had allowed himself in this strange environment had been more than restful. Din could not even remember the last time he had slept so well. 

And it had simply been enough for him to see you control your nerves perfectly to make it all come true. 

“We’ll take care of it tonight,” you said. “First, the ship, I’ve got to get some tools and…”  
“The Crest can wait.” Mando cut you off.

Mando had suddenly gotten your undivided attention. A wave of confusion made you open your mouth to say something that didn’t seem to find its way up to there. 

“ B-but…"   
” The Crest can wait. " Mando said again. 

And he took an interest in the pile of cushions, grabbing one of the seats and meticulously returning it to its original position. 

You didn’t understand Mando’s motives, even Din didn’t understand them. He simply felt the need… to slow down. He’d followed you this far with the idea of repairing the ship as quickly as possible. Within two days he had guessed with one glance that your thoughts were all about the ship and how you could fix it, and so far Din hadn’t had a problem with that. But something, beyond the feeling of gratitude, beyond the feeling of guilt he felt after his son had turned your living room upside down, something, a thought, no, a hunch, a bud of an idea, had occurred to him that he wanted to drag things out a little.

Din didn’t know you that well. Let’s be clear, you were both nearly strangers who had only spent the equivalent of 24 hours together. Even so, he had no doubt you were capable of restoring the Crest’s old youth. And it was because of that. Din had quickly done the math; once the necessary pieces would be gathered, it would probably only take you a week to two or three more days to finish what you intended to do. And to him, a week was short. Too short. 

He couldn’t really explain it. It was a feeling he’d only experienced once before, a long time ago, on Sorgan. This feeling of wanting to stay, of wanting to put off leaving. And he hadn’t fully been able to understand the essence of this feeling, or even how to cope with it or how to control it. All he knew now was that this emotion stirred his heartbeat every time he thought of leaving this planet soon. 

So, the Crest could wait a little longer.

You were still a little confused about Mando’s decision. You were watching him put the cushions back one by one on your couch when a slight warmth crept up to the center of your chest to embrace your heart. 

Din didn’t immediately notice the rather shy smile that had been slowly forming on your face. But when he saw it, you were already on your way to your kitchen, probably to get something to clean the wall. 

And there was something special about that smile. It wasn’t like usual, it didn’t come out of any kind of goodwill, it was deeper than that. Din felt it like that and he lingered on it a little longer, he wanted to remember that smile.

Cleaning the wall was no easy task. Mando had even joined you to help, but the marker had probably already won the battle. After more than half an hour of trying to get rid of the nonsensical drawings that the child had drawn, you threw in the towel. In both meanings of the word. 

“You don’t have to.” You said, “I’d have to use bleach, and I don’t know if you’ve ever seen the effects of bleach, but it’s not pretty." 

Mando looked at you, probably wondering what bleach was, when you heard the squeak of a felt pen on a surface where a felt pen should not be. And suddenly, even though you couldn’t see Mando’s eyes, you knew he had the same expression on his face as you did at that moment. That expression specific to adults being in contact with children that said, "oh no.”  
And after a second of common hesitation, you both lowered your eyes to the child, sitting next to his father’s outstretched leg, trying his hardest to draw on Mando thigh’s beskar.  
The child was so focused on his drawing that he was literally crushing the tip of the marker against the iron. Mando was like… frozen. He watched his son carefully scribble on the beskar. You wondered why Mando didn’t react until you tilted your head to the side a little more to see what he was drawing. 

Children had a gift for finding their way into your heart. Well, yours started to melt. On the beskar, you could make out three characters, Mando, Banjo and the little one sitting on his back. It certainly wasn’t high art, the features weren’t straight and went over the edge, but you were sure of what you had seen. And then he seemed to think for a moment. What was he thinking about? It was a big question, but he ended up adding to his mini painting a star in the grey sky of the beskar.

The child then looked at his father and cooed softly. Mando seemed to regain consciousness and sighed. 

“ You’ re getting dangerous with this.” he said as he took the marker from him.   
“He’s a creative one.” You said with a smile.   
“ Uh, what about the bleach you were talking about?"   
"Believe me, it won’t help."   
"Really?”  
“ We can always add paint?” You said.   
“It’s always better than this.” He said.   
“You’re a terrible liar, you know that?” You giggled.   
“Uh, I’m not lying… am I?” He sighed. 

You raised an eyebrow, not buying a word. You stood up, giving up the idea of ever getting back a clean wall without graffiti. 

“Dare to tell me you don’t feel anything special for this.” You said “If you weren’t his father, maybe I’d believe you, but fathers are all the same." 

Mando turned his eyes to his son. He waddled over to Banjo, who was lying by the couch. 

"Maybe.” he said. “That’s, uh, pretty new to me."   
"New?” you asked.   
Mando was still sitting against the wall when he looked at you again.   
“What was your father like?” He said.   
“My father?" 

Din was observing you thinking. He could see in your eyes memories of which he didn’t have the keys to decipher, and he was surprised to think about who his father was as well. He didn’t have many memories. He had been too young to really remember. But Din wanted to know. What was your father like? What was his father like? Because if you were right, maybe he’d find out how to be a father.

"He was a patient and strong person. He didn’t show his feelings much because of that.” You said. “I blamed him a lot for that, actually.” You went on. “but I realized later on that he was actually showing me his emotions through his actions. I mean, for example, through mechanics.” You started. “My father was a pilot in the Air Force, but what interested him most was the mechanics, what was going on inside the belly of the plane, you know?” And you looked for some kind of validation from Mando who nodded gently, enthralled by your story. “And all these years, he taught me mechanics. He taught me how to take a car to pieces and rebuild it with my eyes closed.” You said. “And you know, you don’t take the time to share something you’re passionate about with someone you don’t love.” You added. “And that’s how I knew who my father really was, by his actions.” You said. “So, I think if you really didn’t want to have that drawing on your armor, you wouldn’t have let him do it.”

You smiled softly at him while Din thought long and hard about your words. It was something he needed to ponder. 

Din watched you go back into the kitchen with the towel and the bowl, before he looked at the child. He had joined the dog, sat down against his belly and played gently with the long hair of the animal. And Din wondered, did his actions with the child make him a father?


	7. Vaar'tur (Morning)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First part of chapter 7! Enjoy your reading!

Life, could manifest itself in strange ways. And sometimes it would catch up to you and ring back to you with a big slap in the face. 

Because, yes, your alarm clock had just started ringing. And because yes, you had just remembered you had a job. 

And like every morning, you stuffed your face into your pillow, grumbling nonsense that finally payroll was overrated and that, anyway, who really needed a job? 

And like every morning, you lost the battle. 

You sat in bed, burying your head into your hands to get rid of the traces of sleep still stuck on your eyelids. You stared into the void for a while, until you heard a paw scratching against your door. 

Banjo always managed to get you out of bed. He understood that when he heard you waking up, it meant he would get his food earlier, so he never wasted too much time reminding you to get out of bed. 

But, when you opened the door, it wasn’t Banjo you saw first. The child stood there and watched you, his head tilted and chirping happily as he watched you come out of your hole. Your dog wasn’t far away either, and when the child noticed him too, he rushed towards him, dipping his little fingers into Banjo’s fur.

All you could do was smile at the scene in front of you. Banjo was having fun gently pushing the kid who was laughing at him while trying to grab his snout. 

“You just made my day.” You said as you petted your dog’s head. 

The child suddenly reached out to you and you hugged him, kissing him on the forehead. 

“Hello, little one!” You said, and the child cooed happily.

You took him with you to the bathroom, where you started your morning routine. 

“You know,” You started talking to the child you had sitting on the furniture. “Today I have to go to work, so I’m counting on you to keep Banjo busy and watch over Mando.” You took one look at the child who listened to you with pleasure. “Can I trust you with that?”

The child gurgled joyfully as if he wanted to confirm this to you, and when your eyes fell on the mirror again, a large shadow in the background of your reflection made you startle.You then turned towards Mando, a hand flattened against your chest. 

"You’d make a great serial killer, you know that?”  
"That’s why I’m getting paid.”

You took a second to integrate his words before you giggled. You had noticed that in him, Mando had a particularly subtle sense of humour and like in the Battleships game, when he hit, you sunk. 

"Where are you going?” he asked.  
“Oh, that’s right!” You turned to the mirror again to finish applying your skin care. “I’m working today, you’re gonna be alone most of the day and I apologize for that, so please make yourself at home, I should get back around…”  
“Can I come with you? Where do you work?”  
"As much as it would have been a pleasure, I’m afraid that’s not possible. I’m a professor at the university, I teach foreign literature.”  
” University?”  
You turned to him, astonished.  
“You don’t know what a university is?”  
"Hardly.”

You think for a minute. You stare at him, pondering, before keeping on getting ready. 

"That story about the helmet you can’t take off in front of someone else, does that apply to the armor, too?” You questioned him before you went to your room.

Mando was silent for a while. He stayed behind the door while you put on your work clothes and when you went out to go down to the kitchen, he answered, unsure of himself.

“Huh… I guess not.”  
"Well, if you’d like, I can lend you some casual clothes to take you to see what a university is like.”

You said those words carefully. You didn’t want to force him to do anything and he seemed to consider your suggestion for a moment until the child grabbed his leg. 

"This little one won’t be able to stay alone.” he said, and you looked down at the child.  
“ You’ re making a point.” You smiled at him.

You gulped down your coffee and it was already time to leave.

“I should be back around 3:00 in the afternoon. Enjoy the house as you wish!” 

He nodded and watched you walk away. The door slammed and he looked around the room, wondering what he could do while he waited for you to return.


	8. Ge'catra (Evening)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second part of chapter 7!
> 
> Enjoy your reading!

When you think about it, life wasn't that strange. You had spent the day teaching, answering students' questions, chatting with your colleagues before heading home. 

And what millions of people went through every day on their way home from work was right in front of you when you walked through your front door: 

Mando was slumped on the couch, obviously asleep, the child in the hollow of his arm, also asleep, and your dog, lying at his feet, his tail wagging calmly on the floor when he saw you coming. 

As much as you weren't a fan of all those people who wanted to capture every moment of life with their phone, you couldn't miss this lovely scene. 

Looking at the picture, you almost wish to get used to it. The idea that someone could be there. Right there. It was a nice feeling. But a fleeting one.

You didn't want to bother Mando immediately. The mandalorian seemed to be deeply asleep and from what you could understand, life in the universe left little opportunity to catch a break. 

So you set to work on the pieces you had brought back for the ship. Your garage was flooded with steel and scrap metal. It was almost disheartening. Making room to prepare the plans that would guide you in repairing the Crest was essential. 

It was only after an hour of tidying up that you were able to set large drawing papers up. And drawing wasn't really your thing. Dismantling an engine with your eyes closed was a walk in the park, next to making sketches to get an overview of the engine. 

You tapped the old pencil that hadn't been used for months on the work surface, trying to visualise how your hand would be able to draw the lines and curves that made up the Razor Crest engine. 

A line here, another one there, an arc of a circle to connect the whole and it felt strangely similar to the doodle of yesterday on your wall. 

You sighed, putting both hands on the worktop when Mando appeared.

"I won't be able to repair your ship if I can't even draw its pieces." You said without looking up from your paper. 

"Why?" Mando asked. 

"Look at that," you turned around to open a cupboard on your right. "Here are the plans of all the cars and planes my father had to repair." You paused and saw Mando taking a close interest in the sketches. "He never started a repair until he had a complete picture of the mechanical parts. Just so he wouldn't make mistakes. « You explained. 

"You said that the Crest looked like the planes from here. Why not use these plans?" Mando suggested. 

You gave it a second thought. There were similarities, yes, but the technology of the ship was still more advanced for the good reason that, unlike a plane, the ship flew in space. In other words, the vacuum. 

"It's... almost impossible." You felt desperate. 

A bug had certainly bitten you. You felt hopeless before you even tried. It wasn't really typical of you and you didn't know if it was your day at work that had brought you back down to earth or if it was a flash of realization that made you feel that way, but it was true that you had jumped into something bigger than yourself. Even bigger than everything.

"Since I made Star Trek real, I thought that nothing was impossible?" 

Mando tilted his head slightly in a challenging mood. Had he just pinched your ego? You raised an eyebrow. 

"Do you know about Star Trek now?" 

"I had some time to spare." 

You didn't see it, but you knew it, oh yes, you knew it, you knew he had a smirk on his face. In one sentence, he had just boosted your spirits. And you gave in with no hesitation. 

"Okay, maybe there is a way." 

And you pull out the plan of a fighter plane. One thing was sure, the evening was going to be busy.


	9. Grogu

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy your reading!

Mando had left for about fifteen minutes to check that the child had fallen asleep comfortably in the bed in the room they both occupied at your house. It was late. Very late. Maybe even too late to say for sure what time it was exactly. You had spent the evening and part of the night working on the sketches.

Mando was feeling tired. A kind of fog was clouding his mind. His breathing was strangely calm and his whole body was calling him to close his eyes. The child slept soundly. Mando returned to the living room and even the dog was slumped on his carpet to sleep. 

And Mando noticed something. It was a quiet night. He couldn't hear anything. Just silence. He glanced at the living room window and there was not a single movement either. Were the nights on earth always this quiet? He could certainly get a liking for it. It wasn't difficult either. 

It was a bit too quiet and since he couldn't hear you tidying up as you had told him just before he went away, he decided to come and see what you were doing. 

And there you were. With your head resting in your arms on the worktop. Sitting on a chair, you had fallen asleep. Within a few minutes you had let yourself fall into Morpheus' arms.

Mando felt a certain remorse at observing you when you didn't know anything about it. It didn't match his personality. He wasn't used to being so intrusive, but he couldn't help but notice the way you had intertwined your fingers, or the way your chest rose and fell at the peaceful rhythm of your breathing. And you had fallen asleep knowing that he, almost a stranger, had not.

He no longer counted the times when he had been unable to sleep, knowing that strangers were in the same room. And you were asleep. You didn't care that he was from somewhere else, you didn't care that you could never see his face, you didn't even care if he wasn't potentially a dangerous person. You were asleep. And Mando was confused by this, because the trust you placed in him was so surprising. 

And maybe he shouldn't waste that trust. Looking at you that way was far from polite, so he slowly moved closer to you. His gloved hand touched your shoulder and gently stroked it to wake you up.

You grumbled, your eyes flickering as you tried to get out of your sleep and you could almost hear Mando talking softly in your ear. 

"You should go to bed." 

You simply nodded and Mando helped you to get up while your mind was still between sleep and wake. 

"You should too." You almost whispered, and your hand, which had found itself resting on Mando's arm when he had supported you to get you up, returned the gentle gesture that Mando had made towards you to wake you up. 

Mando watched you go up the stairs before disappearing into your room. Despite the thick fabric on his sleeve, your touch had not gone unnoticed by Mando. He couldn't really feel the warmth of your hand, but the gesture was probably even warmer. 

And he thought about it all night long. At least the rest of the night he had to spend. The next day you had also gone to work. To the university. He still hadn't solved the mystery of that institution. He took advantage of your absence to use your computer and continue his investigations on the planet Earth. He wanted to understand people. He wanted to know their customs. He wanted to know the meaning of affectionate gestures as mundane as a simple pat on the forearm. Yes, he couldn't stop thinking about it. He was flustered by it. Not flustered like a teenager discovering the emotional side of love. It had nothing to do with it. And he didn't believe in it either. But he was confused and he thought he would never find out why.

As for you, you wanted to start the repairs. Your thoughts weren't really focused on that gesture of affection that Mando was having trouble getting through. It was natural for you, rather common to think about it. On the other hand, a spaceship waiting to be upgraded, that wasn't very usual. 

All day long you had been bothered by thoughts of repair. You were proud of the work you and Mando had done the night before, even though it had made your night incredibly short. But now everything was ready. It was all set and you couldn't wait to get your hands dirty.

You had estimated the number of days needed for the repair at 5 days. 5 days, if everything went the way you wanted, but you already knew that making some of the pieces would be a difficult task. You had informed Mando about this. He looked surprised. Perhaps he was expecting a shorter period? After all, who knows what a person with the knowledge and tools to repair a ship could do.

A ship. It was difficult to realize how much it meant. You never really took the time to think about it. At the same time, was your brain able to understand the scope of it? Not really. But having the possibility to go off to space travel was happily running through your mind. There was something exciting and frightening about the unknown. 

And you probably would have loved being able to put ship repair on a line on your resume. But it was not possible. 

You sighed as you closed a student notebook. It was decided, you were going to take some holiday time earlier this year. 

When you got home from university, you found Mando on your computer. He seemed enthralled by something he had found online. Your dog was still lying at his feet. He seemed to like him particularly since Mando had dared to scratch his head the first night he came. Yet Banjo loved everyone. But you were surprised not to see the child. 

"Mando? Where is the child? "You asked him, looking around again. 

"Grogu? He's upstairs. He found a children's book. "Mando said to you as he looked away from the computer. 

"Oh well, he must have found one of the old books I had when I was..." And then you stopped dead in your tracks. 

Grogu. Mando, had called him Grogu. And suddenly a feeling of intense shame had invaded you from head to toe. You had never, ever asked Mando the name of his son. You had never asked about his identity. Your cheeks turned bright red and you suddenly didn't know where to stand. How could you have never asked his name in three days? 

"Oh no, honestly, I’m an idiot!" You blurted out. 

Mando was taken by surprise. You didn't see him but he frowned, not understanding this sudden change in behaviour. He sat up and put the computer on the coffee table. 

"What do you mean?" he said. 

"Grogu... that's his name, isn't it?" You asked him. 

"Obviously" he said. Mando still didn't understand where you were going with this.

"I'm really sorry I didn't ask you his name earlier, really, it's... I'm sorry." You apologized with the thought of slapping you in the face. 

"Don't worry, you did better than me." 

Mando cracked a smile under his helmet. You were unbelievable. In three days you had learned about a universe larger than your wildest dreams could imagine, and you were worried about a name. Mando didn't like prejudices, but he couldn't help making fun of something as earthly as this. 

"Better than you?" 

"I didn't know his name until a person, a friend, gave it to me weeks later."

By telling you this anecdote, Mando had hoped to reassure you. He studied the features of your face and when the redness had somewhat faded to give way to astonishment, he knew he had succeeded. 

"Weeks?" 

"It's a long story." Mando replied. 

"It's a good thing I took some time off," and you crossed your arms over your chest. "You're going to tell me about it while I fix your junk heap."


	10. Haa'taylir (To see)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy your reading! 😊

Working in silence was not part of your habits. So, to fill the silence in the cockpit, you played your playlist. The music filled the space with a soft melody as you started to hum a song. Acoustic songs were your absolutely favorites, they were relaxing and they created a kind of bubble in which you could focus. 

And for what you were doing, it required a lot of attention. 

You were handling the electrical circuits of the instrument panel. You had spotted some malfunctions and you suspected that an electrical overload might occur. You had to change some connectors, replace some wires and tighten some bolts on the panel before you could test your electrical connections. 

Your toolbox was open on the pilot's seat, you picked up the wires one by one and connected them with a pair of tweezers. 

You didn't immediately notice Grogu. He had sneaked up to the instrument panel and was sitting on it. It wasn't until you felt his little fingers in your hair, while you were on your knees, your head under the controls, that you knew he was there. 

"Hello Grogu." You said, without taking your eyes off the circuit.

The child cooed cheerfully and you could now feel him knotting your hair. 

"I hope you at least have a hairdressing diploma." You joked. 

Grogu chuckled again. 

"Okay, I trust you then," you replied. 

You plugged two more connectors into their respective wires before you put the power back on in the entire ship. Then you raised your head towards the child. 

"Now it's time for the real thing!" you said. "I'll give you the honour of pushing this button." You pointed out the button that triggered the simple opening and closing of the cockpit door. 

Grogu did not hesitate and pushed the button. The door slammed shut, making you and the child jump. 

"Ah, that was a bit fast." You said.

You pressed the button again but nothing happened. You tried again, but the door stayed as closed as it was.

"Uh, hello Houston, we have a problem." 

Grogu whined and you reassured him with a pat on his back. 

"I'll sort it out, don't worry." 

You went to the door, banging lightly on it to make the metal ring. You were hoping to catch Mando's attention, who was supposed to be nearby repairing a landing gear. 

"Mando?" You called in the hope that your voice would carry enough without frightening the child. 

There was a moment of silence and then you heard footsteps coming towards the door. 

"What's going on? "Mando asked you as he tried to open the door. 

"I have good news and bad news. The good news is that the electrical circuit is back on. The bad news is that I must have made a mistake in some of the connections so I'm stuck in here with Grogu.” 

"Huh, is it... is it okay?” 

Mando seemed bewildered and you heard him try to open the door from his side again. 

"Yes, it will just take a little longer than expected.” 

"I'll stay around, just in case.” 

"Thank you," you said before you went on, "oh and, can you watch my dog? He has to stay close enough in the meantime.” 

After a moment of silence, you heard him nod and then move away. You knew that Mando wasn't very comfortable with Banjo but you thought that this would certainly be an opportunity for him to realize that your dog was a good paw.

"Well, back on the work!" You said, turning to Grogu, "it's not a distribution board that's going to rule here, right, Grogu?"

He cooed eagerly and watched you get down on your knees again and get back into those stubborn electrical circuits. 

Grogu was watching you a lot. He had eventually joined you and you had made him understand with a simple gesture that he shouldn't put his claws into the circuit. He was watching you from every angle. Every once in a while he caught the bottom of your wool jumper, checking the fabric. He would babble happily when you seemed to have found the solution and scowl as soon as he saw your face harden with annoyance. 

You were so focused that it was hard for you to pay attention to him, and yet he had eyes only for you at the moment. Grogu was constantly looking for something. He looked at your face. Especially your face. He wanted to see you. But you were not seeing him. Because there was one thing you didn't know yet, but which he had known for many years. 

At the same time, how could you know it? Until yesterday space was only the solar system, if you look at it broadly, so how could you see Grogu the way he saw you? Or rather, as he was trying to see you. 

Grogu tried again and again because he felt it. He had felt it in you. That thing that ran through him too. And he had tried so hard to make you see it that he suddenly sat down tired on the floor.

And it was at this very moment that you finally decided to see him. 

"Oh well, what's the matter with you sweetheart?" You asked as you took him in your arms. "Why don't you take a nap on the seat, it's more comfortable." You said, completely unaware of the tremendous effort Grogu had just made. 

You finally closed the panel, satisfied with the adjustments made. 

"Let's see how it goes.” 

You pressed the opening button and the door finally decided to open. 

"Hey, Grogu, we're free!” 

But Grogu had already fallen sound asleep on the seat. You watched him for a moment, touched by his little ears turned down. You gently stroked his ear with your fingertips. You didn't know what species he was, and Mando didn't necessarily know any better, but in the end you realized that it didn't matter. 

Grogu was a very special little being. You didn't know how to describe him, but ever since he and Mando had come into your life, there was a little flame that was reignited. There was that little something that had filled an empty spot, or rather, had taken back its rightful place in your heart. 

You didn't know how to say it, perhaps because it was something still unclear, a bit odd, not completely understood by ordinary people, but Grogu and Mando had awakened this thing in you. And you were not able to say what impact it might have in the future.


	11. Kar'tayl (Awareness)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy your reading!

It had been a long and tiresome day. Some things had been done, others had begun, but there was still a lot to do. And your body was making you suffer in places you didn't even know existed. 

It had been agreed to stay there until the repairs were completed. Mando had kindly made a fire and you had taken out warm blankets from your car to withstand the cold of the autumn nights. There was no question of sleeping under the stars. No, you would sleep in your car and Mando would sleep in his ship, but while waiting to share a meal prepared over a wood fire, the cozy aspect of the rugs would do the trick. 

In a way, sleeping near the ship made you feel better. Leaving it unattended for several days might not have been the best idea. Anyone could have gotten close to it and made who-knows-what out of it. And assuming the authorities were already aware of his presence, it was not wise to leave it alone. 

The authorities. You were beginning to seriously question yourself. Why weren't they here? A craft like this certainly didn't go unnoticed when it entered the Earth's atmosphere. And yet they were not here. Why weren't they here? 

You already imagined them preparing plans for an assault, recruiting new soldiers and perhaps even considering a bomb attack. You had a particularly imaginative mind and before it went too far, Mando showed up in front of you with a steaming mug full of hot chocolate.

"You are frowning." He said as he handed you the cup. 

"There's just something not right." You said as you took it. 

You thanked him with a smile and Mando casually sat down next to you. He didn't need to speak, the simple fact that he turned his head towards you to look at you meant he was ready to listen. You handed him a blanket while you tightened yours around your shoulders before going on. 

"You've been here for at least four days," you started. "Not that I'm so bored with you that I'm counting the days but," you joked, "they've seen you. They must have seen you." You explained to him.

"They? Your leaders?” 

"The authorities, the government, NASA, the military, they all know.” 

"And that's what worries you?”

"What worries me is that despite the fact that they know, they are not here. And the question is why?"

"The answer is simple, Razor Crest has a jamming device and it's a ghost for the galaxy." He said, confidently. 

You ponder for a second. Could you really accept that answer as valid? No. You knew it all too well. 

"You're not in the galaxy." You answered, looking down at your mug. "The Earth is teeming with satellites and radars. And those radars are not part of your galaxy. I'm sure they're up to something.”

"You don't trust your government?”

Din did not ask you this question because he thought the Republic or the Empire was more trustworthy. He had asked you the question because he wanted to know more about planet Earth. And that meant understanding how your leaders functioned. 

"How do you want to trust a government that starts wars for a yes or a no? Or when psychopaths are at the head of a nation? You can't. You just can't." You said. 

"Have you known wars?" Mando asked. 

"And we still do." You sighed. "The ones that have certainly had the greatest impact on us are surely the two world wars, but there have been so many, and there are so many more, that I can hardly name them all.” 

"What are these wars due to?” 

"It depends. Because of territories, politics, religions. Sometimes because of dictators." You explained. "We're quite creative." You joked. If you could call it a joke. 

Mando looked at the campfire again. He was thinking. Your dog had laid down at your feet and the child had found shelter under the blanket Mando was wearing. Grogu was cuddled up against Mando and you could see him dozing. 

"It looks like the Empire and the Republic." He said, pensively. 

"What's this?" 

" Two political regimes that give each other a rough ride to take over the galaxy." He explained briefly. 

"I don't even know if I should feel reassured or scared." you said. 

"What do you mean?" 

"Reassured to know that, in the end, the space is not that different and that you could feel at home, and, scared because it's not that different. "You answered, taking a sip of your hot chocolate. "It seems that this is what humans are made for. Self-destruction." 

"I assure you, it's not just humans." Mando said.

And he didn't expect you to choke on your own hot chocolate. 

"I'm sorry, what?" You were astonished. 

You looked at him with big, dumbfounded eyes. Had he just implied what you thought he was implying? Judging by your reaction, you obviously didn't know about any other intelligent species in the universe. 

"It's not just humans fighting among themselves." He repeated, even though he knew that this was not what you wanted to hear. 

There was something pleasing about seeing you suddenly so taken aback. You had taken so well the existence of a distant galaxy, and had accepted his condition of coming from elsewhere so well, you had also practically adopted Grogu as part of the scenery, that Mando was amused to see you so disturbed by the existence of other intelligent life forms. 

"It's probably a stupid question, but, are there really other intelligent species?" You asked him, and curiosity but also disbelief was in your voice.

And something happens that you didn't expect: Mando laughed. Not just a chuckle you'd heard from him before, but a real laugh, genuine and honest. It wasn't a big burst of laughter either, but it was striking enough to distinguish it from a gentle little laugh. 

"Don't make fun of me," you said softly. "I know it's silly and it's almost obvious that there are other forms of life just as evolved as humans, but here we just suspect it. There is a difference between a hypothesis and reality." You explained. 

" Forgive me, the intention wasn't bad." Mando apologized. "You just accepted everything else so well. I didn't expect so much surprise from you." He justified himself and leaned towards you, putting a friendly hand on your shoulder to try to reassure you. 

His little attention comforted you in his sincerity and you automatically glanced up at the starry sky.

"What do they look like?" You asked. 

"It all depends on who they are. They come in all shapes and sizes. It's hard to describe, you have to see it." He said. 

"Some like Grogu?" 

"Grogu is special. It seems that his species is quite rare. Some time ago I was supposed to bring him back to his species." Mando explained.

"What about today?" 

"I'm still looking for them." 

"Well, I can tell you that there are no others like him on Earth" you laughed. 

"That would have been surprising." He said and you could hear his smile under his helmet. 

"I'm sure there are many things on Earth that could impress you." You said.

"Like what?"

And you had to take a moment to think. What could a mandalorian with so many new technologies find surprising? Especially since you didn't know what the galaxy had to offer either. So you chose the most trivial thing you could think of: 

"Hot chocolate!" you said as you lifted your now almost empty cup. 

"The hot chocolate?" he repeated doubtfully. 

« Oh c'mon, I saw your face earlier when I took it out. "You joked. 

"Did you see my face?" Mando insisted, but this time his voice sounded amused. 

"You know what I mean." You said.

He let out a chuckle and then turned his attention to the campfire. The wood was crackling and the flames were dancing in a mesmerizing dance. Between the blankets and the warmth of the fire, you could almost forget the bitter cold of the night. But your hands were well hidden under the blanket. 

"You know what really impresses me?" Mando said. 

And you shook a 'no' with your head. 

"Your capacity for adaptation." 

And somehow you knew that he wasn't talking about earthlings in general, but about you.


	12. Nu Dajun'la (Not planned)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there! Here's another chapter, you're now on the same page here than on Tumblr. I don't know when the next update will be, I'm a student in a master degree and therefore, I have little time for writing. Just hope to still be able to write from time to time!
> 
> Enjoy your reading!

Life sometimes manifested itself in strange ways. Even for Din. And he didn’t expect to wake up with a tray of freshly prepared food at his disposal. You had even written him a note describing every single food on the plate. “French pastries are the basis of a successful breakfast” you wrote and if he had no idea what the “French” part meant, he heard his stomach growling at the simple sweet, slightly perfumed smell of the pastries. 

The day could only start well and Grogu was already enjoying swallowing little choux buns topped with sugar balls. Din chuckled at him gently before grabbing one and twirling it between his gloved fingers.

“ Let me have some of it. "he said before sliding the food under his helmet into his mouth.

And he let a long, satisfied sigh escape. When was the last time he had eaten something so good? There was something special about earthly food, was it because it had been a long time since Din had been able to enjoy the flavours of a good meal? He could never get tired of it and he ate another one. He had to ask you what it was but he had just placed it as one of his favourites. 

And then he noticed something else on the little note you had left him. A little note that made him frown. What did you mean when you said, "P.s. Sorry, I had to. » ? A little shot of adrenaline reminded him that maybe he had let his guard down a little too quickly and a little too long. It was only then that he heard voices other than yours rising from the outside of the ship. 

He didn’t think twice, the ramp of the ship opened and he turned towards Grogu before leaving.

"Stay there and don’t eat everything. "He said to Grogu, who had no intention of listening to him. 

Within a few steps Din found himself outside and suddenly found it hard to understand what was going on. 

A small group of young people around you were studying the plans you and Din had drawn. Some of them were impatient, others were so focused that they didn’t hesitate to scold those who weren’t being serious. 

Something was eluding him and he thought that his little stay on earth had made his brain weak. Since when did he let himself be so easily surprised? And to tell the truth, at that very moment you were surprising him too. 

You didn’t notice Mando right away. He wasn’t doing much to be noticed either, he was confused enough to ask for the attention of five unknown people. But you didn’t have a choice. 

The night had not been very restful. The conversation you had the night before with Mando had gone round and round in your head and between the sprawling galactic monsters landing on Earth and the army coming in tanks, your mind had other things to do than rest. And those disturbing dreams hadn’t helped your anxiety, so you decided you needed to pick up the pace. But speeding up without a work crew was a tricky thing to do. 

Life had a really strange way of showing itself sometimes and until now, you probably never thought to ask for help to repair this ship. Help other than what Mando was already giving you. You had been far too aware of the danger it could represent, for you, for Mando, for Grogu… but what was better? Revealing his presence to students in whom you trusted partially? Or to be discovered by the police? 

It wasn’t a good idea, you knew that. And you hadn’t taken the time to discuss it with Mando either. It was more of a decision taken on a whim and you would surely regret it later, but today, thanks to the students you had carefully selected, the repairs were going to be a good step forward. And the sooner the ship would be able to fly, the sooner Mando and Grogu would be safe, away from Earth.

In other words, you were reassuring yourself as best you could. 

You didn’t know if those dreams had been the trigger or if the lack of sleep had caused some neurons to break down, but in the early morning you woke up with an awful realization: it was much bigger than you. And no matter how full-grown you were, no matter how thoughtful and composed you were, this morning it was all too much. And sharing this secret with almost grown-up people was probably the only way to relieve the pressure you had put on yourself. 

So there you were, explaining as best you could to five of your students the tasks they were going to be assigned to repair the ship. But that wasn’t the most complicated part. You had to deal with your students’ reaction to the ship and nothing in your studies to become a teacher prepared you for that.

"Well, can we focus for five minutes? "You asked them as one student had been trying for a solid two minutes to calm down his friend who still couldn’t believe his eyes. 

"Ma'am, can you believe it?! "He exclaimed, "A real one! »

"Get over it, it’s not as cool as Star Trek’s USS Entreprise NCC-1701-E. "His friend who never seemed very impressed with the Razor Crest commented. 

"I wish you knew my courses as accurately as that.” you smiled slightly. “Good, you’ll start by gathering all the material listed in here,” and you gave them each a piece of paper. “ you get to work and… be respectful. ” You glance at them briefly before finishing. “ Croissants and chouquettes as much as you like in the car." 

And you knew that their motivation had just been boosted to the max. You got up and only then you spotted Mando near the ship. And his whole body was more tense than a tree trunk. And the trickiest part of your hasty decision had just begun: persuading Mando that your potentially bad idea wasn’t such a bad idea. 

Your students didn’t seem to have noticed him yet, they were far too busy eating pastries and it seemed that a croissant was more important than a spaceship piloted by the Galactic Daft Punk cousin. Ah those students!

It was just that a little anxiety was making your stomach heavier. From what you could see Mando didn’t seem the most delighted to have a bunch of young people he didn’t know around his Razor Crest but hopefully he would understand. 

"It wasn’t planned.” He said, his voice muffled by the helmet. 

“I know. And as much as I would have loved to have the Crest all to myself, sometimes you have to be realistic.” You said, and you were looking forward to his reaction. 

“You’re not realistic. You’re worried. That’ s not the same thing. ”

And for the first time, you observed Mando withdraw into himself. He wasn’t very talkative already, but it seemed to you that you had managed to win his sympathy. You had seen him trust you gradually and you feared you had taken ten steps backwards, whereas you had only taken two in the same direction.

And then you felt a pinch of irritation tickle your nerves. His words had not been well received and it would have been hard for Mando to miss the annoyance expressed by the hardened features of your face. Your posture had changed too. Your arms, which were usually open, had just crossed over your chest, your usually relaxed and loose shoulders were now tensed and stiff, and even your chest, which was usually light and sometimes delicate, now looked much stronger. You showed a disconcerting self-confidence and Din made the pleasant discovery that you were not the type to let yourself be stepped on.

But this was not the time to dwell on your new confidence.

“Indeed, I am worried for you and I think that the situation has been sufficiently addressed for you to understand that I will never be able to get you out of this rotten planet to the bone without any help. "And the features of your face softened again. "Look, yes, that wasn’t planned, and I’m not asking you to trust them, but for your, "you paused before correcting” if you want to leave Earth in one piece, we must work faster.“ 

Mando sighed heavily. You saw him lower his head slightly, as if he was thinking about the pros and cons. He was nervous. You could see that and you suspected a rather complicated past in relation to other people, perhaps one or two betrayals, and he was thinking over and over again until he nodded silently. 

"You know this world better than I do. I trust you, but I won’t go easy on them. "He granted and he saw you relax completely, the hint of annoyance had completely disappeared and he recognized you in your kindness.

"Don’t worry, they are students, there is nothing more resilient. "You gave him a little smile before gently placing your hand on his forearm in a friendly gesture. "They won’t bother you, I’ll make sure of that." 

Mando nodded again and before you could go back to repair the ship, he couldn’t help but stop you for a moment, holding your arm.

"What’s the name of the, huh, ‘French’ pastries you brought me?” he asked. 

“ They’re called ‘chouquettes’, why that?" 

"Do you have some more of them? Grogu… Grogu seems to like it.” He justified himself. 

But you couldn’t be fooled. Grogu was certainly not the only one who liked them.


End file.
